Clothespin



Jan. 3, 1950 A0. MCKINNEY CLOTHESPIN Filed Dec. 7, 1945 i. amzrime IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN Arthur Cleveland McKinney, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application December 7, 1945, Serial No. 633,311

1 Claim.

This invention relates to clothes pins, one of the objects being to provide a pin having relatively movable members which can be formed of plastic or any other suitable material and which dispenses with the use of separate pivot pins.

A further object is to provide the pin with a spring mounted in a new and novel manner for the purpose of maintaining the jaws of the pin normally pressed tightly toward each other.

A still further object is to provide a clothes pin which is cheap to manufacture and which can be handled easily.

Another object is to provide a clothes pin having a spring which is inclosed where it will not freeze to a line or to fabrics when used in cold climates, the entire device being of such a nature as to be easily and effectively used in extreme cold.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a clothes pin such as constitutes the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I and 2 designate opposed jaws, respectively provided with working faces I and 2, the working face I having grooves 3 and 3 and the face 2' having grooves I2 and I3, grooves 3 and I2 and 3' and I3 being adapted to register when the two jaws are pressed together. Extending from the respective jaws at one end are diverging wings 4 and 4' spaced apart a suflicient distance to permit the jaws to swing apart if the wings are pressed toward each other. One of the jaws has a segmental recess 5 close to the wing 4 while the other jaw 2 has a transverse rib 6 mounted so as to fit snugly within the recess 5. This rib and the recess portion thus cooperate to form a fulcrum on which the jaws are adapted to move relative to each other.

Formed within the jaws are matching holes I, I proportioned to receive a coiled spring 8. The ends of the spring are formed with eyes 9, 9', and the two eyes have L-shaped wires Ill, I0 extended through them, one end of each wire being extended through its jaw back of the rib 6 and into the opposed jaw as shown at I I and I I'. The other end of each wire is parallel to and overlies, but does not extend into, the outer surface of its associated jaw. These wires bridge the opening and constitute efiicient anchors for the spring. As the spring is constantly under tension, it serves to hold the wires against displacement relative to the jaws. Furthermore, when one jaw is swung relative to the other so as to move the grooved faces of the jaws away from each other, the spring is placed under greater tension and, after the wings 4 and 4 have been released following the relative movement of the jaws, the spring will shift the jaws toward each other so as to tightly grip any fabrics or the like which may have been inserted therebetween. Those ends II and I I of the wires extended into the jaws are spaced longitudinally of the jaws, (see Fig. 3), and, prevent the jaws from shifting laterally relative to each other.

What is claimed is:

A clothes pin comprising opposed gripping jaws, said jaws having interfitting portions constituting a fulcrum, diverging wings extending from the jaws adjacent to the iulcrum, there being normally aligned openings in the jaws, a spring seated within and normally concealed by the walls of the openings, separate L-shaped wires each having one end portion bridging one of the aligned openings and pressed by the spring against the jaw in which said opening is formed, said end portions of the wires being otherwise non-connected to the jaws, each wire having its other end portion extended through the jaw against which the wire is pressed and into the opposed jaw, said latter end portions being spaced apart longitudinally of the jaws and constituting means for anchoring the spring in position and for holding the jaws against relative lateral movement.

ARTHUR CLEVELAND MCKINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 59,545 Barden Nov. 13, 1866 121,303 Wattles Nov. 28, 1871 1,088,553 Dostal Feb. 24, 1914 1,489,923 Budd Apr. 8, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 314,467 Germany Sept. 19, 1919 

